Attachment J-2 Branding and Marking Guidance.docx

BRANDING AND MARKING GUIDANCE AND TEMPLATE FOR ACQUISITION AWARDS

1. GUIDANCE

USAID’s policy is that programs, projects, activities, public communications, or commodities implemented or delivered under acquisition awards.

The guidance presented herein is to assist the apparently successful recipient to draft a Branding Strategy and Marking Plan as required in the terms of the award. This information is NOT a substitute for USAID policy guidance for acquisition awards found in the Code of Federal Regulations (2 CFR 700), the USAID Automated Directives System (ADS 320), and the USAID Graphics Standards Manual.

Note: Branding will Presumptive exceptions will be outlined in the Marking Plan.

No program logos will be developed/used.

2. BRANDING STRATEGY

Branding refers to how the program, project, or activity is named and positioned, as well as how it is promoted and communicated to beneficiaries and cooperating country citizens. It identifies all donors and partners and explains how they will be acknowledged. A Branding Strategy is required even if a Presumptive Exception is approved in the Marking Plan.

3. BRANDING STRATEGY TEMPLATE

USAID Branding Strategy

Award Title Award Number Date of Plan

1) Program name (See ADS 3.2) Identify activity name in English and host-country language.

2) Main Program Activities Succinctly list main activities to be implemented under the award.

3) Audience Who are the primary and secondary audiences for this activity? Think in terms of who needs to know about the activity to achieve the programmatic, diplomatic and development objectives.

What is the appropriate level of visibility Justification?

4) Messages What are the one to three (max) topline messages of the activity? (See ADS 1.3 for guidance on message development.) Secondary/supporting messages?

5) Positioning This section should discuss how the program will be publicized, visibility considerations (high, medium or low), and include a description of the communications tools to be used.

What communications or activity materials will be used to explain or market the program to beneficiaries? Offline and online campaigns? Examples include the following:

° Press releases; ° Press conferences; ° Media interviews; ° Site visits; ° Success stories; ° Beneficiary testimonials; ° Professional photography; ° PSAs; ° Videos; and ° Webcasts, e-invitations, or other emails sent to group lists, such as participants for a training session blast e-mails or other Internet activities, etc.

Please provide any additional ideas about how to increase awareness that the American people support this activity.

7) Key Milestones and Opportunities List key activity milestones. These milestones are an opportunity to demonstrate impact and to generate awareness that the program is from the American people. These include, but are not limited to:

Training events Publication of reports Ribbon cuttings/launches Highlighting success stories Communicating activity impact/results Community engagements Showcasing before-and-after photographs Securing endorsements from ministry or local organizations

*USAID/Jordan discourages award launches and close-outs. Events and communications should demonstrate progress toward development objects and emphasizes the impact of assistance from the American people. Events and communications should not brand the partner or build ‘brand recognition’ in a particular activity.

8) Acknowledgements

Will there be any direct involvement from a host country government ministry? If yes, please indicate which one or ones. Will the recipient acknowledge the ministry and a co-sponsor?

4. MARKING PLAN

Marking refers to how public communications, commodities, and program materials and other items will visibly bear the USAID Identity. Recipients may request approval of Presumptive Exceptions to marking requirements in the Marking Plan. Adherence to marking standards as specified in the USAID Graphic Standards Manual must be strictly followed. A link to the Manual can be found here: https://www.usaid.gov/branding/gsm

5. MARKING PLAN TEMPLATE

USAID Marking Plan

[Award Title Award Number Date of Plan]

All materials, activities and deliverables marked with the USAID Brand Identity for the USAID [Name] Activity will follow design guidance for color, type, and layout in the Graphics Standards Manual and on usaid.gov/branding as it pertains to equipment, signage, reports, studies, events and public communications (including printed products, audio, visual, and electronic materials), etc.

Table 1 outlines the types of materials and activities that may be produced under the USAID [Name] Activity. Any materials and activities that are not anticipated below but are produced under the initiative are subject to USAID branding policy and COR approval, as appropriate. The intent is to mark the assistance, not the partner or project.

After award and prior to printing, the Recipient will provide the COR graphic examples of visual marking of materials, activities and deliverables in English.

Any “public communications” as defined in CFR 700.1, funded by USAID, in which the content has not been approved by USAID, will contain the following disclaimer: This study/report/audio/visual/other information/media product (specify) is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of [insert Recipient name] and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

Sub-awards:

To ensure that the marking requirements “flow down” to subrecipients of subawards, recipients of USAID funded grants and cooperative agreements or other assistance awards are required to include a USAID-approved marking provision in any USAID funded subaward, to read as follows: As a condition of receipt of this subaward, marking with the USAID Identity of a size and prominence equivalent to or greater than the recipient’s, subrecipient’s, other donor’s or third party’s is required.

Table 1. MARKING PLAN FOR MATERIALS AND ACTIVITIES (illustrative examples only)

Follow the guidelines contained in the USAID Graphics Standards Manual

Administrative

Using the report template available on usaid.gov

Disclaimer

Program Communications

Using the report template available on usaid.gov

Disclaimer

Using the template available on usaid.gov

Websites should follow the structure and look-and-feel of the main USAID website to the greatest extent possible, including sharing top menu navigation and style sheets with www.usaid.gov.

* Websites All websites produced for USAID projects by contractors must have the approval of the Website Governance Board and must display correct disclaimer language as specified in ADS 557.

** Social Media Social media should always be used to communicate directly with stakeholders or beneficiaries in host countries. It should never be used to promote a program or contractor. Social media channels may be approved as part of a project’s marking plan in consultation with the CO, contracting officer’s representative (COR) and development outreach and communications specialist (DOC).

Exceptions and waivers:

Exceptions are programmatic in nature and are usually approved pre-award. Exceptions are managed by a Mission’s DOC and reviewed with Principal Officers (please refer to ADS 320.6 for the definition of a Principal Officer) as needed. Post-award exceptions to marking requirements are submitted via the COR and require a revision of the Branding Implementation Plan and Marking Plan for the project. Exceptions are generally awarded in non-emergency situations and include those that would:

· Involve program or materials where independence or neutrality is an inherent aspect of the program and materials. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:

a. Election monitoring or ballots, and voter information literature;

b. Political party support or public policy advocacy or reform;

c. Independent media, such as television and radio broadcasts, and newspaper articles and editorials; and

d. PSAs or public opinion polls and surveys.

· Diminish the credibility of audits, reports, analyses, studies, or policy recommendations whose data or findings must be seen as independent.

· Undercut host-country government “ownership” of constitutions, laws, regulations, policies, studies, assessments, reports, publications, surveys or audits, PSAs, or other communications better positioned as “by” or “from” a cooperating country ministry, organization, or government official.

· Impair the functionality of an item, such as sterilized equipment or spare parts.

· Incur substantial costs or be impractical, such as items too small or other otherwise unsuited for individual marking, such as food in bulk.

· Offend local cultural or social norms, or be considered inappropriate on such items as condoms, toilets, bedpans, or similar commodities.

· Conflict with international law, such as the internationally recognized neutrality of the International Red Cross or other organizations.

· Deter achievement of program goals, such as cooperating with other donors or ensuring repayment of loans.

Waivers are circumstantial, not programmatic, in nature, and are approved by the Principal Officer in response to adverse circumstances that affect implementation. Waivers are granted when USAID-required markings would pose compelling political, safety, or security concerns, or marking that has had or will have an adverse reaction in the cooperating country.

Table 2. EXCEPTIONS TO CONTRACT MARKING REQUIREMENTS

1 / 2 image1.png